Wishful Thinking
by Snow White and the Seven Vamps
Summary: Set from 5x22. Caroline gets an invitation to a Harvest Ball in NOLA hosted by the Mikaelson Brothers. Due to all the craziness thats happened in Mystic Falls, she decides to go. What happens when she shows up in NOLA alone, ready to accept an invitation from a man who promised her the world? Klaroline Story.
1. The Invitation

_Chapter 1 - (Characters are not mine)_

It came in the mail. It's also the reason I'm currently waiting in the airport to board the next flight out to New Orleans. I knew the bright red "M" seal wasn't a coincidence along with the calligraphy that outlined my name like a permanent stain. It was them, the Mikaelsons but more importantly Klaus I assumed. They were hosting a ball in the French quarter as a celebration of peace between the supernatural alliances. Of course I was unaware of that at first, I only thought they were hosting a soiree as we all know the Originals live in a "go big or go home" fashion. I pulled out my invitation again just to make sure this wasn't some crazy Silas induced fantasy. Despite the fact that he was gone, I had not forgotten how he had used his stupid psychic or more like psycho abilities to infiltrate my mind and use Klaus against me. I ran my fingers across the seal once more, opening it to have another look at the invitation.

_Miss Caroline Forbes_

_You have been cordially invited to the Harvest Ball 2014_

_Held in the French quarter, NOLA_

_18th May 2014_

_Yours sincerely,_

_Klaus & Elijah Mikaelson_

I was hesitant as first and quickly phoned up Elena and Bonnie to find out if they too had been invited. As usual with Bonnie being the anchor, she was a little MIA with Jeremy and of course, Elena was forever putting her relationship with Damon above her friends. I was happy for her at first but c'mon this is big and she won't even text me back? I still think Stefan is better but then again here I am running off to NOLA to a dance hosted by the big bad original hybrid and Elijah of course. This was received two weeks ago. Since then, I lost my best friend to the other side, had him brought back only to lose my other best friend and Damon, who I had actually grown quite attached to. We weren't exactly besties but we had a certain understanding.

After that I realised I had to get out of there and fast. I offered Stefan the opportunity but he refused, said he wanted to go to Portland like he had planned last year but just never made it. I hoped he would at least find what he was looking for, he deserved happiness. Well, one of us did. I hope by going here, I can find a sense of closure and happiness away from an abundance of death. However, that seems to follow the Mikaelsons anyway. There was something about being the only one invited that made me feel a bit special. I knew Klaus had a thing for me but after our fling in the woods a while back, I thought that was it. I certainly never thought that I would be here about to meet him once more. My mother understood my need to go despite her disapproval, she only wanted me to be happy but a supernatural invested NOLA is not exactly what she meant by that.

I slowly tucked away my invitation as I heard a voice take over the airport,

"Flight 112 to New Orleans is now ready to board, please make your way to isle 8 where an attendant shall be waiting to assist you to your seats, Thank you"

I sighed and reached down to grab my hand luggage before making my way down to Isle 8. Turns out my seat was a window one which was better for me. I hadn't ever flew before having never left Mystic Falls and the view as we ascended was astonishing. I've never seen anything more beautiful especially as it was sunrise. The pink and yellow serenity which set in contrasted so beautifully that I wished I could stay in this moment forever. I

soon remembered however why I was here, quickly changing my mood of serenity to one of disgruntlement as I began to question my own motives. Did I really think hanging out with the originals was going to change anything or make me forget? Could I really face Klaus after telling him to never come back? I began to scan the room before me. Seeing a middle age women fret over her baby whose cries only increased with every second that passed. Glancing at an old man whose glasses had fell askew as he dozed off. Lastly, the male beside me, reading and listening to a tape on Italian, trying to learn the language I assume. Such human problems. I'm pretty sure none of them would even hesitate in running away from a situation like this but there was me, Caroline Forbes, doing the opposite once more. Then again wasn't it me who told him that anyone capable of love was capable of being saved? I couldn't back out now. I will show up at his crazy ball thing and if it gets too much I'll board the first plane back…but then…no I just well…what if it's not too bad? What if I enjoy myself? Should I stay there? With Klaus? Or at a motel? This was a bad idea, I should never have come. I contemplated jumping from the plane but I was currently trying not to expose the supernatural community so that wouldn't work out well for anyone. I suppose I could use a parachute-nope hold it together. I had an hour left on this flight so I decided to make the most of it. I put my earphones in, left my iPod on shuffle and let myself drift into a state of semi consciousness.

This ended all too soon however as I heard an attendants voice slightly muffles by my earphones. I took them out just in time to hear her mention landing in 2 minutes. I sat up and buckled my seatbelt while packing away my iPod. With a last glance out the window, I saw the wheels of the plane hit the tarmac and roll along the runway. We were finally here. I felt the butterflies awaken in my stomach with the anticipation of coming face to face with a man who promised me all the world had to offer.

"Excuse me miss, would you like some assistance exiting the plane?"

I looked up startled, unaware that everyone else had left.

"Oh urm no, thank you. I just zoned out for a bit there, bye!"

I quickly grabbed my small bag and quickly jogged off the plane in order to escape further embarrassment. As I exited the plane, I quickly sent a text to Stefan, asking him to call me ASAP. As I was still slightly jogging towards baggage collection I wasn't really watching where I was going. Suddenly, I felt myself collide with someone a bit taller than me.

"Oh urm I'm really sorry I just-" I looked up quickly to look at the man I had just accidently assaulted with my clumsiness only to be shocked at who was staring back at me.

"Hello gorgeous"

This could not be happening.

**Please Review and let me know what you think! This is kind of a trial chapter that i thought up! I have a plan/faint outline of where i wan't this to go, strictly Klaroline. Go Go Go!**


	2. Arrival in NOLA

_Chapter 2 - Characters are not mine_

This could not be happening.

Just when I thought I'd gotten rid of all the drama that came with Mystic falls, there he was.

"Hello Enzo" I said with obvious distaste. Ever since his recent…demise, I hadn't really spoken to him.

"Now, now Caroline, I don't remember us parting on bad terms" he smirked back at me, easily amused at my disapproval.

"And I don't remember asking you to meet me in New Orleans but here you are" I quipped back at him. Surprising myself with my witty remark.

"Ah I knew there was a reason I liked you but I just happen to have received a text from a certain blonde Mikaelson"

"Rebekah?!" I exclaimed, not realising that she would be here, having not been mentioned on the invitation and how did she know Enzo anyway?

"That's the one! Something about a party here? And who am I to resist?" he took a slight pause to show off his "million dollar smile", most likely due to being given a chance to spend the night at a party thrown by the elusive originals and no less having been invited by one.

So Enzo was also invited. I wonder if I'd run into any other familiar faces at this ball. I hope not.

"I seem to have a particular liking for blonde's these days" he winked at me to which I rolled my eyes

"Really Enzo? This again?" He was only back 5 minutes and already he had begun his earlier more annoying tactics.

"Relax gorgeous, I'm just saying since every brunette reminds me of my dearest Maggie who was ripped away from me by my traitor of a best friend but hey enough of that" He sneered sarcastically. I knew he was hurt but I also knew he didn't hate Damon especially since he fell through with his promise to bring him back. However I wasn't sure if he was fully aware of Damon's death along with the other side. I didn't realise I had pulled a face until he called me out on it

"What is it? Caroline?" he looked at me suspiciously as if trying to call me out.

"Damon is dead Enzo" I blurted out quickly, like ripping off a band aid. I felt the pain in my chest tighten as I thought of how I'd lost my best friend alongside him. We had just gotten her back, it wasn't fair. Even Damon, he had finally gotten everything he wanted and he had a chance to be truly happy but it was taken from him all too soon.

"What?" Enzo replied in barely more than a whisper. I'm sure if I didn't have my vampire hearing I wouldn't have caught it. His facial expression looked broken. Almost as if I had broken the news of Maggie to him all over again.

"H-he never made it back in time…him and Bonnie…gone" I slowly informed him, stuttering slightly with the lump in my throat as I thought about it more. Keep it together Caroline, keep it together.

Enzo just continued staring at me with a crushed look upon his face trying to comprehend the fact that his oldest love/hate companion was actually gone.

"I-I'm so sorry Enzo, I know despite everything, he was like a brother to you" I tried to soften the blow because the look on his face was killing me. It was the purest image of grief I'd seen on his face and it was only then that I wished that I hadn't spoken at all.

When he looked up at me he simple nodded slightly letting me know that he appreciated my concern but wasn't quite ready to respond. I suppose he took it better than Elena and Jeremy did but who could blame them for their reactions. They lost the people they cared about the most in a matter of minutes due to misinformation and a shortened spell.

My train of thought was interrupted by a phone ringing, it took me a second to realise that it was my own. I looked down to see it was Stefan.

I turned away from Enzo and answered the phone;

"Hey Stef, urm wait a minute I was just talking to"- I stopped mid-sentence as when I turned around I noticed that Enzo had disappeared – "Oh never mind" I grimaced, I guess I would see him at the ball, if he even dared to show up.

"Care? You there?" Oh god I zoned out again, I have got to stop doing that, it's becoming too much of a habit. Damn this place, Damn Enzo especially.

"Oh urm yeah Stefan, sorry kind of zoned out there" I chuckled nervously, trying not to make him think that this was regular occurrence or a big deal for that matter.

"Twice in one hour? That's gotta be a record, even for you Caroline Forbes. Who was it you had been talking to anyway?" He joked light heartedly. Oh good he never noticed. Either that or he did and just didn't think to question me on it. Either way I'm relieved, for the moment.

"Oh haha Stefan, I'll have you know it helps get me into my zone and oh you know, just Enzo" I casually told him, leaving the slightest hint of sarcasm to show a bit of the old me, the pre-Bonnie and Damon death me.

"Enzo? As in THE Enzo?" The shock in his voice was evident. Yeup, he certainly didn't see that one coming.

"Yeup, it's a pretty long story" I raised my eyebrows and I recalled the past half hour in my head.

"I got time" Stefan responded, the voice of reason and understanding. I spent the next few minutes giving him a detailed account on what took place including the invite to the ball and the reaction to Damon's death (I didn't want to tell him but the story wouldn't have made sense without it). When I had finished Stefan was pretty much as confused as me. I told him that if I saw Rebekah I would be sure to ask her about it despite the fact that she hates me and probably wouldn't tell me anyway. With that we said our goodbyes and hung out, leaving me to go back to facing New Orleans.

I finally picked up my bright yellow suitcase from the baggage collection rail as I had planned to do before Enzo distracted me with his presence. I checked my phone once more, it was 9am In NOLA so I still had the whole day ahead of me, not to mention that the ball wasn't until tomorrow so I still had a whole day left of potential sightseeing.

I wanted to visit Klaus admittedly but I couldn't just show up at his house. I wasn't even entirely sure where his house was, I just assumed it was the French quarter that was mentioned on the invitation but I wasn't 100% sure but then again I didn't exactly know my way around town.

I decided that the only option would be to make my way to the French Quarter and to check it out and see if I spotted any original hybrids on my way.

I walked outside and hailed a taxi as I really didn't think running into town while holding a large suitcase and hand luggage would be at all fun. Once I was inside I immediately told the driver to take me to the French quarter. He gave me a worried glance in the mirror obviously in the know from his obvious glances. Just as he was pulling away my phone beeped and it was one more text from Stefan

"One more thing, Good Luck! –S"

Meddling doppelgangers I'm telling you.

As I looked out the taxi window it kind of looked like it would be a nice day

Little did I know, that a storm was brewing

And I was in the crossfire.

**Hey guys, thank you for all the reviews so far, they have been awesome! I'm gonna try and update as frequently as i can but i have my last exam coming up and i need to study super hard because i need an A in it so hope you enjoy this chapter and i'll try and get some more writing done in the mean time! Keep reviewing and don't worry, Klaroline will come soon enough!**


	3. The Mikaelson Brothers

_Chapter 3 – None of the characters are mine_

Couldn't believe the sights around me. The lights, the music, the life around her was astonishing on its own. I got out of the car earlier than expected just to have a look around, paying the taxi driver generously.

I took a quick turn just to try and absorb everything. Feeling a grin slide into place as I contemplated the possibilities here and took on the happiness of those around me.

I had dressed appropriately for the occasion with a bright yellow sundress and golden wedge sandals. Reflecting the sun as I walked down the street. Feeling at ease.

It was getting closer to midday and I really wanted to settle in to a motel nearby before going for a look as these suitcases were rather bulky. Well suitcase and hand luggage at least, I would have taken more if I had a chance too. I could always buy some more stuff over here if I need too.

I decided to try out the New Orleans Courtyard Hotel as it was close to the French Quarter and seemed lovely. I entered to smell the fresh aroma of newly brewed coffee assaulting me, reminding me of a good book shop I used to visit in Mystic Falls before the owner passed away and it got shut down.

There was a young man, vampire, roughly my age behind the counter.

"Hello there, my name is Josh, Is there anything I can help you with miss?" his voice was cheerful and I couldn't help but smile at him.

"Hi there! My name is Caroline and I was wondering if I could possibly have a room for a few nights, I'm visiting some friends here" Friends? Why did I say that? Are we friends? Ugh I'm not even sure.

"Okay dokay, here we go Miss Caroline, it seems the Queens Room is available if you'd like and that's $189 per night" He smiled

It was a little more price-y than I had originally expected but the Queens Room. I liked the sound of that.

"Okay Josh, I'll take it!" I cheered gleefully.

"Alright excellent! Will I be taking cash or credit card?" He smiled at me once more

"Card, thank you!" I responded pulling out my card.

I typed in all the necessary details and josh handed me the key to the room I would be staying in. Just as I was about to head up the stairs, josh got one of his colleagues to take my bags up free of charge although I still gave the man a tip. I opened the door to my new suite and put the bags in the middle of the bedroom, marvelling in it. This is definitely the room for a queen.

I strolled into the bathroom to check my hair and makeup

"Queen Caroline" I whispered, striking a pose.

Ok It wasn't exactly vogue but I was definitely getting there. Next order of business was to have a look around before it got too dark. I unpacked only the essentials e.g. toiletries, makeup and some clothes for later on. I made sure I had my bag and key and once I slipped on my long white cardigan, I headed out the door, curls bouncing all the way.

As I walked down the street towards where I was presumed the French Quarter would be, I could understand why the Mikaelson's came back.

The town was beautiful, it was full of life, it was so new that what I had experienced back home. Perhaps that's why I was invited. Klaus did say that the small town life wouldn't be enough for me so he invited me somewhere where there was that glimmer of more to offer.

Maybe I was punching above my weight here? Klaus may not have any ulterior motive for inviting me but then again that's not the Klaus I know. He ALWAYS has an ulterior motive but it may not be centered around me. I wanted to find him and talk to him I had to know.

I just had to make sure I spoke to the right people. I walked into the bar on my left and took a seat at the bar noticing that the blonde bartender was in fact human which made me feel less intimidated when she came over to chat.

"Hey there! I'm Cami, what can I get for you?" she smiled at me although I could see it was forced due to living in such a lively town which I suppose is one of the few down points.

"Hey there, I'm Caroline. Urm I was actually hoping if you knew where I could find somebody?" I brought my voice down low however due to the abundance of supernatural in the room, it was hard to hide anything from them and a couple looked over at me suspiciously.

"Oh really?" She seems confused at who I could possibly know in this town "who?" I suppose all she could say was she didn't know, right?

"Klaus Mikaelson"

I knew in that moment that I had made a fatal mistake. Cami's eyes went from shocked to angry in a matter of seconds. Almost everyone in the bar was staring at me suspiciously. What kind of reputation had Klaus created for himself here? Cami looked at me eyes cold and just answered coldly

"If anywhere, he's probably in his lair planning the death of his next victim" brilliant, obviously not changed at all from the man I know. What am I doing here really? I can't fix him, this is who he is I mean he creates havoc. It's just a ball I remind myself, just a ball.

"Oh urm ok" I said looking down at my hands not really sure what to say and embarrassed from all the looks being given my way.

"I'm sorry Caroline but I'm not really comfortable serving anyone who is an alias with Klaus" she looked at me, some sympathy shining through her cold eyes. Ice cold blue.

"Now Cami is that anyway to treat one of our guests to this fine town?" a new voice emerged and a man who holds that much importance seems like somebody I should perhaps avoid. He burning stare was enough to make me uneasy.

"Marcel" she whispered. "Where the hell have you been? I thought Klaus exiled you? I thought you might even be ….dead."

"Ah it takes more than that to make me stay away" he smirked "but Cami I'm afraid I need to leave, for good. In fact that's why I came to talk to you" at that moment they both turned to me as a signal that they wished to speak privately and that I was in their personal bubble.

"Oh right yeah ok I'll see you later or never idk bye" I rushed and then I walked quickly outside. That was intense but he definitely has a thing for her. I wasn't sure if exiling Marcel was the only thing that had upset her. Knowing Klaus that would only have been the beginning.

I wasn't really sure where to go next, I hadn't quite anticipated to be practically thrown out of the bar due to looking for Klaus. Maybe I should just storm into the French quarter and shout for him until he appears. I suppose that would be an entrance or perhaps just appear tomorrow and see what he says when he sees how I look.

I was interrupted out of my muse when I heard a voice behind me

"Miss Forbes?" I stilled. No way, it couldn't be could it? I turned round at vampire steed.

"ELIJAH! Omg hi how are you?" I announced gleefully which wasn't expected for the shock on his face. My luck had turned as wherever Elijah was, his brother followed.

"Miss Forbe-" I cut him off

"CAROLINE Elijah, call me Caroline!" I loved that he was formal but it was unnecessary, it's not like I'm a queen or anything. I smiled to myself reminding myself of my own little joke with the hotel room.

"Caroline" he announced "As much as I am pleased to run into you, why are you here?" What does he mean why am I here? He invited me, didn't he?

"Wait you don't know?" I responded dumbly. "I mean I assumed you would since well you're partly the reason" I ruffled around in my bag to find the invitation.

"I'm still not quite sure what is happening? Is someone in Mystic Falls in trouble?" I winced slightly as I had forgotten all about the trouble back home for a short moment.

"I'll elaborate on Mystic Falls in a bit if you'd like but in all honesty the reason I am here is because of this" I handed him the invitation I had received.

"Please excuse me, Miss For-Caroline" he corrected "But I did not invite you to our ball however I do believe Niklaus must have." So his brother didn't know, I felt the butterflies stir in my stomach at the possibilities.

"Oh…" I wasn't entirely sure how to respond, I felt happy, giddy, excited but also nervous and anxious and all the pressure and expectations suddenly gained from my visit.

"Would you mind telling me what your relationship is to my brother?" Elijah eyed me suspiciously taking in my shocked expression. How do I tell him that I slept with his brother due to this weird bond thing we have going on?

"Yes love, do tell us both what the relationship between us is" Klaus appeared from the nearest alley, looking as gorgeous as ever in his fitted grey Henley rolled up at the sleeves showing off his muscles distracting me momentarily.

"Klaus" I whispered. Unable to form a coherent sentence after seeing him after all this time. Was this really him, I was starting to feel a bit dizzy.

"Hello Sweetheart" he winked and that's around about the time where I fainted leaving two very shocked vampires to cater for me.

All I heard before I fully blacked out from the world was "I got you, love" as two arms lifted me up bridal style.

**Review Review Review guysss! This was one of the longest chapters I think I've written out of the three. Hey she met him woo! She hasn't fainted just because he's pretty btw (I'll explain in later chapters) The ball is coming up in the next couple of chapters and I need some help picking which dress Caroline should wear, I have narrowed it down to three; ** . ****** /image/599327/ **** ** . **** I'm kind of swayed towards the blue and I think maybe the red for Cami who is also invited! Let me know what you guys think and I will update as soon as possible.**


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